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not at the critical moment the safety pin proved untrue to the man
who invented itthat happy family reunion would have been
impossible。
Or； it might be told this way：
Old Man McCurdy； the Pig…Iron King； forbids his daughter Gwendolyn
even to think of marrying poor but honest Beef Walters； the baseball
pitcher； and denies him his house。 The lovers plan an elopement。
At midnight Beef is to stand at the tradesman's entrance and whistle
〃Waiting at the Church〃； and down the silent stairs Gwendolyn is to
steal into his arms。 At the very same hour the butler has planned with
the policeman on fixed post to steal Mother McCurdy's diamonds
and pass them to a brother of the policeman； who is to wait at the
tradesman's entrance and whistle 〃Waiting for the Robert E。 Lee。〃
This sounds improbableespecially that the policeman would
allow even his brother to get the diamonds before he did； but；
with the God of Coincidence on the job； you shall see that it
will all come out right。 Beef is first at the door。 He whistles。
The butleran English butlerwith no ear for music； shoves into
his hands tiaras and sunbursts。 Honest Beef hands over the butler
to the policeman and the tiaras to Mother McCurdy。
〃How can I reward you？〃 exclaims the grateful woman。
〃Your daughter's hand！〃
Again the God of Coincidence scores and Beef Walters is credited
with an assist。 And for preventing the robbery McCurdy has the
peg…post cop made a captain； thus enabling him to wear diamonds
of his own and raising him above the need of taking them from
others。
These examples of what the god can do are mere fiction； the story
that comes now really happened。 It also is a story of coincidence。
It shows how this time the long arm was stretched out to make two
young people happy； it again illustrates that； in the instruments he
chooses； the God of Coincidence works in a mysterious way his
wonders to perform。 This time the tool he used was a hat of green felt。
The story really should be called 〃The Man in the Green Hat。〃
At St。 James's Palace the plenipotentiaries of the Allies and of Turkey
were trying to bring peace to Europe； in Russell Square； Bloomsbury；
Sam Lowell was trying to arrange a peace with Mrs。 Wroxton； his
landlady。 The ultimatum of the Allies was： 〃Adrianople or fight！〃
The last words of Mrs。 Wroxton were： 〃Five pounds or move out！〃
Sam did not have five pounds。 He was a stranger in London； he had
lost his position in New York and that very morning had refused to
marry the girl he lovedPolly Seward； the young woman the Sunday
papers called 〃The Richest Girl in America。〃
For any manfor one daythat would seem to be trouble enough； but
to the Sultan of Turkey that day brought troubles far more serious。
And； as his losses were Sam's gain； we must follow the troubles of
the Sultan。 Until； with the aid of a green felt hat； the God of
Coincidence turns the misfortunes of the Sultan into a fortune
for Sam； Sam must wait。
From the first days of the peace conference it was evident there
was a leak。 The negotiations had been opened under a most solemn
oath of secrecy。 As to the progress of the conference； only such
information or misinformationif the diplomats considered it better…
as was mutually agreed upon by the plenipotentiaries was given to
a waiting world。 But each morning； in addition to the official report
of the proceedings of the day previous； one newspaper； the Times；
published an account which differed from that in every other paper；
and which undoubtedly came from the inside。 In details it was far
more generous than the official report； it gave names； speeches；
arguments； it described the wordy battles of the diplomats； the
concessions； bluffs； bargains。
After three days the matter became public scandal。 At first； the
plenipotentiaries declared the events described in the Times were
invented each evening in the office of the Times； but the proceedings
of the day following showed the public this was not so。
Some one actually present at the conference was telling tales out
of school。 These tales were cabled to Belgrade； Sofia； Athens；
Constantinople； and hourly from those capitals the plenipotentiaries
were assailed by advice； abuse； and threats。 The whole world began
to take part in their negotiations； from every side they were attacked；
from home by the Young Turks； or the On to Constantinople Party；
and from abroad by peace societies； religious bodies； and chambers
of commerce。 Even the armies in the field； instead of waiting for the
result of their deliberations； told them what to do； and that unless
they did it they would better remain in exile。 To make matters worse；
in every stock exchange gambling on the news furnished by the Times
threatened the financial peace of Europe。 To work under such
conditions of publicity was impossible。 The delegates appealed to
their hosts of the British Foreign Office。
Unless the chiel amang them takin' notes was discovered and the
leak stopped； they declared the conference must end。 Spurred on
by questions in Parliament； by appeals from the great banking world；
by criticisms not altogether unselfish from the other newspapers；
the Foreign Office surrounded St。 James's Palace and the office
of the Times with an army of spies。 Every secretary； stenographer；
and attendant at the conference was under surveillance； his past
record looked into； his present comings and goings noted。 Even
the plenipotentiaries themselves were watched； and employees of
the Times were secretly urged to sell the government the man who
was selling secrets to them。 But those who were willing to be 〃urged〃
did not know the man； those who did know him refused to be bought。
By a process of elimination suspicion finally rested upon one
Adolf Hertz； a young Hungarian scholar who spoke and wrote all
the mongrel languages of the Balkans； who for years； as a copying
clerk and translator； had been employed by the Foreign Office；
and who now by it had been lent to the conference。 For the reason
that when he lived in Budapest he was a correspondent of the
Times； the police； in seeking for the leak； centred their attention
upon Hertz。 But； though every moment he was watched； and though
Hertz knew he was watched； no present link between him and the
Times had been established… and this in spite of the fact that the
hours during which it was necessary to keep him under closest
observation were few。 Those were the hours between the closing
of the conference； and midnight； when the provincial edition of the
Times went to press。 For the remainder of the day； so far as the
police cared； Hertz could go to the devil！ But for those hours；
except when on his return from the conference he locked himself
in his lodgings in Jermyn Street； detectives were always at his elbow。
It was supposed that it was during this brief period when he was
locked in his room that he wrote his report； but how； later； he
conveyed it to the Times no one could discover。 In his rooms there
was no telephone； his doors and windows were openly watched；
and after leaving his rooms his movements wereas they always
had beenmethodical； following a routine open to observation。
His programme was invariably the same。 Each night at seven from
his front door he walked west。 At Regent Street he stopped to buy
an evening paper from the aged news…vender at the corner； he then
crossed Piccadilly Circus into Coventry Street； skirted Leicester
Square； and at the end of Green Street entered Pavoni's Italian
restaurant。 There he took his seat always at the same table； hung
his hat always on the same brass peg； ordered the same Hungarian
wine； and read the same evening paper。 He spoke to no one； no one
spoke to him。
When he had finished his coffee and his cigarette he returned to
his lodgings； and there he remained until he rang for breakfast。
From the time at which he left his home until his return to it he
spoke to only two personsthe news…vender to whom he handed
a halfpenny； the waiter who served him the regular table d'hote
dinnerbetween whom and Hertz nothing passed but three and six
for the dinner and sixpence for the waiter himself。
Each evening； the moment he moved into the street a plain…clothes
man fell into step beside him； another followed at his heels； and
from across the street more plain…clothes men kept their eyes on
every one approaching him in front or from the rear。 When he
bought his evening paper six pairs of eyes watched him place a
halfpenny in the hand of the news…vender； and during the entire
time of his stay in Pavoni's every mouthful he ate was noted…
…
every direction he gave the waiter was overheard。
Of this surveillance Hertz was well aware。 To have been ignorant
of it would have argued him blind and imbecile。 But he showed no
resentment。 With eyes grave and untroubled； he steadily regarded
his escort； but not by the hastening of a footstep or the acceleration
of a gesture did he admit that by his audience he was either distressed
or embarrassed。 That was the situation on the morning when the
Treaty of London was to be signed and sealed。
In spite of the publicity given to the confe